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what he had to say. “They’re asking us all to come in for tests, the whole family.”
    “What?” Laurie was shocked. “Why?”
    “Michaelson won’t say right out, but I gather he’s worried that this might be some kind of toxic waste reaction. He’s been checking with other hospitals—you know that search service they have out of Atlanta?—to see if there are other cases like Marilee’s out there.” He waved to the front of Jonathon’s Table which was still his favorite of his six restaurants, though his new one, Moonraker, was apt to displace it if it lived up to its promise.
    “You mean they still don’t know what the matter is?” Laurie demanded, shocked. “How can they not know what’s wrong after all this time?”
    “They can’t because . . . ” He faltered. “Maybe it’s something new. You know, like all the problems they’ve had in treating AIDS.”
    “That’s a special case,” said Laurie. “Everyone knows that.”
    “Not everyone,” said her father. “Otherwise it wouldn’t still be around, even with the vaccine.” He signaled for a left turn. “Your mother’s waiting for us in Chula Vista.”
    “Oh?” She said it carefully, wary in how she spoke of her mother since her parents’ reconciliation eight months ago. Everyone had held their breaths waiting to find out if Catherine and Jonathon would be able to make a go of it after all the threats her first husband had made. With Gary back in jail and the family no longer under siege, Laurie hoped that the worst was over and that they were all a family once more.
    “Don’t worry, sugar, everything’s fine. We’ve straightened it out. You don’t have to—” He interrupted himself to honk at a flashy pickup that cut in front of his car, swearing as the pickup driver responded with a wave of his raised middle finger. “Didn’t mean to—”
    “It’s okay, Daddy,” she said, reverting to her old pattern with him.
    “It’s been a rough couple years, I know it has. When Catherine’s first husband got out of jail—” He stopped, not finding a way to go on without distressing Laurie and himself.
    “I know,” said Laurie. “Everyone was scared.” She did not like to admit that she was as frightened as anyone. “And now Marilee’s sick.”
    “They’re working on making her well. And we’ll do everything we can to help Michaelson, won’t we?” He nodded toward the road ahead. “Your mother already promised to stay with Marilee at the hospital if that would make things better. Jared and Shelley and you and I can manage on our own if Catherine spends a few days at the hospital.” He cleared his throat. “According to Michaelson, there might be a pattern in this disease’. If more cases come in, then they’ll have a better idea what they’re up against.”
    “I see,” said Laurie in a soft voice.
    “And you know how important it is to stop something like this early.” He said it, repeating what Ben Michaelson had told him. “I wish I knew what was wrong.”
    “So do I, Dad,” Laurie sighed, adding as she stared, unseeing, out the windows, “Do you know what kind of tests we’ll have? Did they tell you?”
    “No, not yet. Probably blood stuff. You know what that’s like.” When he had asked the same thing of the doctors, the answers had been vague and ill-defined, as if the physicians themselves did not know what they were looking for.
    “How long will it take; did they say?”
    “No. Not too long, though.” He was determined to be confident, and he said the last with emphasis. “Whatever’s wrong with Marilee is serious enough that they’re taking precautions, that’s all.”
    “Oh.” She reached down and fiddled with the handles of her tote. “Is Marilee still in isolation?”
    “Yes. Just in case she has something catching. That’s one of the reasons for them to test us.” He reached over and put his hand on her hair. “Don’t borrow trouble, hon. There’s no reason to assume